Founding Director of Quality and Mission Assurance

Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight-proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine.

The Opportunity 

As the Founding Director of Quality and Mission Assurance, you will be the ultimate owner of reliability and risk management for all our space hardware programs. You will build and scale the company's entire quality organization, instilling a culture of mission success throughout the product lifecycle, from design and manufacturing to integration and delivery. This role requires a hands-on, strategic leader with deep expertise in aerospace quality standards and the proven ability to proactively manage complex risks in a fast-paced, high-stakes startup environment.

How You'll Fulfill Your Mission

Mission Assurance Strategy and Leadership

• Mission Risk Management: Establish and own the company's Mission Assurance strategy, working with program management and engineering to perform risk assessments and identify, mitigate, and track all mission-critical risks.
• Design and Build Assurance: Implement a Design Assurance program to ensure quality, reliability, and safety are integrated into product design from the earliest stages, in accordance with applicable standards (e.g., NASA, DOD) and contractual requirements.
• Reliability and System Safety: Develop and oversee reliability engineering activities, including risk and failure analysis, and lead the System Safety program to identify and mitigate hazards associated with the hardware.
• Failure Review Board: Lead the Failure Review Board (FRB) for all significant program anomalies and failures, ensuring robust root cause analysis and effective implementation of corrective actions.
• Independent Review: Act as the independent reviewer for program execution, participating in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and program audits to provide critical analysis and ensure a path to mission success.

Quality Management System (QMS) and Operations

• QMS Implementation: Develop, deploy, and maintain a comprehensive QMS in preparation for AS9100 certification and other relevant space-specific quality standards.
• Supplier Quality: Lead the supplier quality management program, ensuring suppliers of critical parts and processes meet stringent space-grade quality standards. Engage in supplier technical reviews and audits.
• Process and Production Quality: Implement process controls and oversee all aspects of hardware quality during manufacturing, assembly, and test, including non-conformance management and material review boards (MRB).
• Continuous Improvement: Champion a continuous improvement culture, utilizing methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma, to enhance processes and overall product quality and reliability.

Team Leadership and Culture

• Organizational Growth: Build, lead, mentor, and grow the quality and mission assurance team, scaling the organization to support the company's growth trajectory.
• Training and Development: Develop and implement mission assurance and quality training programs for engineers, technicians, and managers across the company.
• Customer Engagement: Serve as the primary point of contact for customer quality and mission assurance representatives, building trusted relationships and ensuring clear communication.

Why We Value You

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physical sciences, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in quality and mission assurance within the aerospace, defense, or space industry.
• Proven experience leading the implementation of a QMS, preferably in a manufacturing startup
• Extensive experience with Mission Assurance concepts, including risk management, reliability engineering, and system safety.
• Strong knowledge of industry standards such as AS9100 and familiarity with government standards and guidelines (e.g., NASA, DOD).
• Demonstrate ability to perform robust root cause analysis and lead effective corrective action efforts.

Desired Multipliers 

• Master's degree in an engineering or technical discipline.
• Experience with NADCAP accreditation for special processes.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
• Experience interacting with government agencies (e.g., NASA, DoD) on mission assurance and quality issues.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and act tactically in a dynamic startup environment.
• A "roll-up-your-sleeves" attitude with a passion for building something from the ground up.

The pay range for this role is: $211,564-250,000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base salary range in the San Francisco Bay Area and excludes additional earnings such as bonus and benefits. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Astra, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

San Francisco Applicants: Astra will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records (criminal histories) in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

ITAR Requirements: This position requires compliance with U.S. Government space technology  trade restrictions, specifically the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and additional regulations governing satellite, launch vehicle, missile, and other related technologies. All jobs restricted by these regulations will be contingent upon the applicant’s status as a documented U.S. Person or their ability to receive a trade license from the cognizant government agency; in addition to any required company background checks and in compliance with applicable U.S. and California laws. Similarly, positions requiring the ability to work on government contracts or a security clearance are also contingent upon the applicants ability to receive the appropriate clearance and be allowed to work on U.S. government contracts.

[]